#9: The Minimum Viable Marketing Plan

June 11, 2025

✅ Kickoff

"I need to be on TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and probably Clubhouse too, right?"

Wrong. This is why 90% of entrepreneurs burn out before they build out.

The most successful business owners I know focus on just 3 marketing activities — and they do them consistently for 12+ months. Today I'm sharing the exact "3-pillar marketing system" that generated $400K for a solopreneur who was previously scattered across 12 different tactics.

Stop playing marketing whack-a-mole. Start building a system that actually works.

🎯 The Core: The 3-Pillar Marketing System

Marketing complexity is the enemy of marketing consistency. The goal isn't to try everything — it's to master the minimum that generates maximum results.

The 3-Pillar Framework:

Pillar 1: One Content Platform (Authority Building) Pick ONE platform where your ideal customers spend time and commit to showing up consistently for 6 months minimum. Not Instagram AND LinkedIn AND TikTok. Just one.

How to choose:

  • B2B services: LinkedIn

  • Visual businesses: Instagram

  • Educational content: YouTube

  • Quick tips/insights: Twitter

  • Local businesses: Facebook

Alex chose LinkedIn. Posted one insight daily for 8 months. Result: 15,000 followers and $180K in consulting revenue. Could he have grown faster on multiple platforms? Maybe. Would he have burned out and quit? Definitely.

Pillar 2: One Relationship Channel (Connection Building) Focus on building real relationships with potential customers and partners. Options:

  • Email outreach (5 personalized emails daily)

  • Community engagement (active in 2-3 relevant groups)

  • Podcast guesting (1 interview weekly)

  • Partnership calls (2 discovery calls weekly)

Sarah chose email outreach. Sent 5 thoughtful emails daily to potential clients. Not spam — genuine connection attempts. Result: 40% response rate and 23% conversion to discovery calls.

Pillar 3: One Conversion Mechanism (Revenue Building) Have ONE clear way people can work with you, with ONE clear next step. Options:

  • Discovery call → service engagement

  • Webinar → product purchase

  • Lead magnet → email sequence → offer

  • Free consultation → retainer agreement

The key: every piece of content and every relationship interaction should point to this ONE conversion path.

The Magic Formula: Platform Content → Relationship Building → Conversion Mechanism = Predictable Growth

Most entrepreneurs fail because they're building 5 platforms, 3 relationship channels, and 7 conversion mechanisms simultaneously. That's not marketing — that's chaos.

💡 Weekly Spark:

Mindset Hack: "Consistency Beats Intensity" — Posting 3x/week for 12 months beats posting 3x/day for 1 month. Marketing is a compound game. Small, consistent actions create exponential results over time. The entrepreneur who shows up predictably wins over the one who sprints and burns out.

Business Startup Idea: "Marketing Accountability Service for Solopreneurs" — Many entrepreneurs know what to do but struggle with consistency. Offer weekly check-ins, monthly strategy reviews, and daily accountability via Slack/WhatsApp. Charge $297/month to keep 5-10 entrepreneurs on track with their marketing. Include monthly group calls for strategy and motivation. Target coaches, consultants, and freelancers who are strong at delivery but weak at marketing consistency.

Tool of the Week: Buffer — Schedule your content in advance to maintain consistency without being chained to your phone. The free plan handles 3 social accounts with 10 scheduled posts each. Pro tip: Batch-create content once weekly, then schedule it out. This turns marketing from a daily stress into a weekly system.

Book Bonus: "Traction" by Gabriel Weinberg introduces the "Bullseye Framework" for identifying your most effective marketing channels through systematic testing.

🔨 Build Momentum: Your 3-Pillar Setup

This week, design your minimum viable marketing plan:

Monday: Choose your ONE content platform based on where your customers spend time Tuesday: Define your ONE relationship-building activity (outreach, networking, partnerships) Wednesday: Clarify your ONE conversion mechanism (how people become customers) Thursday: Create content calendar for 2 weeks on your chosen platform Friday: Set up systems (Buffer for scheduling, templates for outreach, calendar for conversions) Weekend: Execute day 1 of your 3-pillar plan

Goal: Launch a sustainable marketing system you can maintain for 6+ months.

📣 Creator's Corner

The partnership framework from last week is creating magic! David connected with a complementary service provider and landed a $15K joint project within 10 days. Jennifer formed a content partnership that doubled her email list growth rate.

But here's what I'm noticing: the entrepreneurs getting the best partnership results are the ones who already have their own marketing systems dialed in. You can't collaborate effectively if you don't know your own strengths and audience.

This week's minimum viable marketing plan gives you that foundation. Master your 3 pillars first, then partnerships become force multipliers.

Keep building systematically,

Basat Hussain

P.S. Next week: "The $10K Month Blueprint" — the exact step-by-step plan for hitting your first 5-figure month, with timelines and benchmarks you can track.